Departments

Department of Plant Production

Crop production in the Czech Republic is focused on the production of food, feed, and raw materials for the food and pharmaceutical industries, as well as for a wide range of light-industry sectors. Cereals represent the most important crop group, occupying more than half of the country’s arable land. In addition to cereals, plant commodities include oilseed crops, grain legumes, root and tuber crops, forage crops, and industrial crops.

Research in the field of crop production is conducted by a number of research and breeding institutions, including the Czech Agrifood Research Center (CARC), Prague, Research Institute for Fodder Crops, Ltd. Troubsko, the Potato Research Institute Havlíčkův Brod, Ltd., the Hop Research Institute Co., Ltd., Žatec, AGRITEC, Research, Breeding and Services, Ltd., and Agritec Plant Research Ltd., Šumperk, among others.

The Department of Plant Production of the Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) has approximately 117 members and is chaired by Ing. Jaroslav Čepl, CSc.

The Department acts as the professional guarantor of the scientific journals Czech Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding (CJGPB), Plant, Soil and Environment (PSE), and Horticultural Sciences (HORTSCI).

Department of Plant Protection

Plant protection (phytomedicine) is a scientific discipline dealing with the effects of biotic and abiotic factors on plants. The objective of plant protection is to reduce the harmful effects of these factors and maintain plant health using methods and practices that are health-conscious, economically viable, and ecologically acceptable. The subjects of plant protection include agricultural crops, forest stands, ornamental plants, as well as wild plants. The origins of plant protection in its modern conception date back to the second half of the 19th century. An independent Department of Plant Protection was established within the CAAS in 1993. Until then, it had been part of the Department of Plant Production as the Plant Protection Commission. Plant protection issues are addressed by private crop research institutes, the Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture in Brno, the Czech Agrifood Research Center (CARC), and the faculties of agronomy and science at universities.

The Department of Plant Protection of the CAAS has approximately 71 members, and its chairman is RNDr. Jan Nedělník, Ph.D.

The Department acts as the professional guarantor of the scientific journal Plant Protection Science (PPS).

Department of Animal Production

The main objective of animal production is to produce meat, milk, and eggs for both the domestic market and export. Animal production is a key component of agricultural production, particularly because it enables the efficient use of crop production as a source of animal feed.

The main mission of the Department of Animal Production of the CAAS is to advance animal science in the Czech Republic to meet international standards. The activities of its members and research institutions encompass basic and applied research, teaching, consultancy, and the practical application of research results. The Department covers all types of livestock and related scientific disciplines. Research institutions in the field of animal production include, for example, the Institute of Animal Science in Prague, the Research Institute for Cattle Breeding in Rapotín, and the Dairy Research Institute in Prague.

The Department of Animal Production of the CAAS has approximately 90 members, and its chairman is doc. Ing. Petr Homolka, CSc., Ph.D.

The Department serves as the professional guarantor of the scientific journal Czech Journal of Animal Science (CJAS), which focuses on animal breeding and husbandry.

Department of Veterinary Medicine

Veterinary medicine is a scientific discipline concerned with animal health, the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, and disease prevention in both domestic and wild animals. Its mission is to protect and improve animal health and welfare, as well as to protect human health from diseases transmissible from animals to humans (zoonoses).

The activities of the Department of Veterinary Medicine of the CAAS are closely linked to the University of Veterinary Sciences Brno and the Veterinary Research Institute in Brno.

The Department of Veterinary Medicine of the CAAS has approximately 41 members, and its chairman is doc. MVDr. Martin Faldyna, Ph.D.

The Department serves as the professional guarantor of the scientific journal Veterinární medicína – veterinary medicine journal (VETMED).

Department of Agricultural Engineering, Energy and Construction

Agricultural engineering has evolved alongside agriculture itself. The term technology refers broadly to the methods and processes used to meet human needs by harnessing natural resources, or, more narrowly, to the tools and equipment used in production. Agricultural engineering has advanced significantly throughout the history of agriculture, driven both by changes in agricultural production and by technological progress in general. One of the most significant periods of development occurred in the second half of the 19th century and the early 20th century, when new energy sources emerged.

The Department of Agricultural Engineering of the Czechoslovak Academy of Agricultural Sciences was established in 1953 under the name Department of Mechanization and Electrification of Agriculture. After 1992, the CAAS established the Department of Agricultural Engineering, Energy and Construction. The Department’s focus has evolved in response to changing conditions in Czech agriculture and developments in the international context. It cooperates closely with the Czech Agrifood Research Center (CARC) and with university faculties of agronomy and engineering throughout the Czech Republic.

The Department of Agricultural Engineering, Energy and Construction of the CAAS has approximately 71 members, and its chairman is prof. Dr. Ing. František Kumhála.

The Department serves as the professional guarantor of the scientific journal Research in Agricultural Engineering (RAE).

Department of Food Technology and Technique

Food technology and engineering encompass a wide range of processes and methods used in food production and processing. These include sugar production, brewing, starch production, milling, food preservation, fermentation, meat processing, and dairy processing.

Following 1989, the former Department of Nutrition and the Food Industry was divided into two independent departments: the Department of Food Technology and Technique and the Department of Human Nutrition and Food Quality. The two departments cooperate closely. Research in food technology is conducted by the Czech Agrifood Research Center (CARC), the Dairy Research Institute, the Research Institute of Brewing and Malting, and numerous university departments and research institutes.

The Department of Food Technology and Engineering of the CAAS has approximately 25 members, and its chairwoman is Ing. Irena Němečková, Ph.D.

In cooperation with the Department of Human Nutrition and Food Quality of the CAAS, the Department serves as the guarantor of the scientific journal Czech Journal of Food Sciences (CJFS).

Department of Human Nutrition and Food Quality

Following 1989, the former Department of Nutrition and the Food Industry was divided into two independent departments: the Department of Food Technology and Engineering and the Department of Human Nutrition and Food Quality. The two departments continue to cooperate closely in research and other professional activities.

The Department of Human Nutrition and Food Quality focuses on research and development in human nutrition and food quality. The research activities of its members contribute to promoting healthy and balanced nutrition and ensuring the quality and safety of food for the population. The Department’s activities also include participation in professional committees and bodies of organizations such as the Society for Nutrition and the Czech Food Society, cooperation with research institutes and universities, and involvement in working groups at the EU level. Education and public awareness in human nutrition and food quality are also important parts of the Department’s activities.

The Department of Human Nutrition and Food Quality of the CAAS has approximately 38 members, and its chairwoman is Ing. Slavomíra Vavreinová, CSc.

In cooperation with the Department of Food Technology and Engineering of the CAAS, the Department serves as the guarantor of the scientific journal Czech Journal of Food Sciences (CJFS).

Department of Economy, Management, Sociology and Information Technology

Research in agricultural economics in the Czech Republic dates back to the establishment of the Research Institute of Agricultural Economics in 1912. At that time, the need for agricultural accounting and financial planning in agricultural enterprises was growing. Following 1990, agricultural economic research underwent restructuring in response to the transition to a market economy.

Today, the Department focuses primarily on the comprehensive assessment of developments in the Czech agricultural sector, including legislative issues, and on supporting strategic and conceptual decision-making in the context of the EU Common Agricultural Policy. In these areas, the Department cooperates closely with the Institute of Agricultural Economics and Information in Prague and Czech universities specializing in agriculture.

The Department of Economics, Management, Sociology and Information Technology of the CAAS has approximately 85 members, and its chairman is prof. Ing. Lukáš Čechura, Ph.D.

The Department serves as the professional guarantor of the scientific journal Agricultural Economics (AGRICECON).

Department of Soil Science

Soil science (pedology) is classified among the life sciences and encompasses both general and applied soil science. It emerged as an independent scientific discipline in the 19th century. Its main areas of focus include soil classification and protection, soil degradation, the preservation of soil’s productive and ecological functions, and urban soil issues. Advances in soil science are driven in particular by developments in chemical analytical methods and information technologies, including the digitization of soil maps and the use of modeling techniques. Research in this field is conducted, among other institutions, by the Research Institute for Soil and Water Conservation in Prague.

The Department of Soil Science of the CAAS has approximately 35 members, and its chairman is prof. Ing. Radim Vácha, Ph.D., who also serves as Chairman of the CAAS Editorial Board.

In cooperation with the Department of Water Management of the CAAS, the Department serves as the professional guarantor of the scientific journal Soil and Water Research (SWR).

Department of Water Management

Water management encompasses a range of activities aimed at ensuring the sustainable and balanced use of water resources, mitigating the impacts of floods and droughts, and protecting aquatic ecosystems. Water is an indispensable component of the environment and a key resource for many agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. Following the transfer of responsibility for water management from the Ministry of the Environment to the Ministry of Agriculture, the CAAS established its 11th department, the Department of Water Management, in 1998.

The Department of Water Management of the CAAS has approximately 60 members, and its chairman is doc. Ing. Zbyněk Kulhavý, CSc.

In cooperation with the Department of Soil Science of the CAAS, the Department serves as the professional guarantor of the scientific journal Soil and Water Research (SWR).

Department of Forestry

Forestry deals with proper and sustainable forest management, focusing primarily on maintaining an appropriate age and species composition of forests and on the production of timber as an important renewable raw material. Forestry also develops non-production functions of the forest, such as the regulation of water runoff from watersheds, which can mitigate the course of floods, or the preservation of natural biodiversity, protection of forest soils, and landscape formation. 

The history of forestry research in the Czech lands dates back to the 16th century. Research in the field of forestry is currently conducted mainly by the Forestry and Game Management Research Institute in Prague, established in 1921, and two forestry faculties (Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences CZU in Prague and Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology Mendel University in Brno). 

The Department of Forestry of the CAAS has approximately 49 members and its chairman is prof. Ing. Vilém Podrázský, CSc., who is simultaneously the chairman of the CAAS Board and is therefore represented by the vice-chairman doc. Ing. Vít Šrámek, Ph.D.  

The Department acts as the professional guarantor of the scientific journal Journal of Forest Science (JFS). 

Department of Agrarian History

Agricultural history, a sub-discipline of historical studies, examines the historical development of agriculture and rural environments. Its main focus is the history of the countryside and its inhabitants. The Department seeks to preserve the heritage of agriculture for future generations by exploring its history and traditions, highlighting the importance of agriculture, rural areas, and the landscape in contemporary society, and fostering a positive relationship with agricultural and rural heritage.

The Department of Agricultural History explores the historical processes that have shaped today’s agricultural structures and the character of the cultural landscape, particularly agricultural landscapes. Its key role is to document the development of agriculture and rural areas in their historical contexts, with a particular emphasis on people – farmers – and their relationship with nature and the landscape.

The Department was established in 2021 through close cooperation between the CAAS and the National Museum of Agriculture, together with other memory institutions in the Czech Republic.

The Department of Agrarian History of the CAAS has approximately 58 members, and its chairman is Ing. Zdeněk Novák.